“To lose him mid-season, I don’t agree with it but for that fee… Coutinho’s not worth that. He’s not that good.

“I would have taken £20m-£30m less in the summer to know that Liverpool would have had him for the second half of the season because at that time we were still in the FA Cup, still a Champions League to play for.”

Liverpool parted with Coutinho having seen him contribute 12 goals and eight assists across all competitions this season.

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Jurgen Klopp refused to reinvest the funds generated from his sale during the winter window, with the Reds prepared to be patient.

They are, however, taking a risk in that approach, with a top-four battle in the Premier League intensifying while the Champions League presents their last path to major silverware – with Porto waiting at the last-16 stage.

Coutinho, meanwhile, has linked up with a Barca side sat 11 points clear at the top of La Liga and chasing down a possible treble as they continue to compete on European and Copa del Rey fronts.